Tag: NAM

Improving border security is an essential part of immigration reform for the United States. Our current system incentivizes illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. while providing few opportunities for them to engage in the legal immigration system. As a matter of national security we need to know who is coming into our country and if they pose a threat. Creating a truly functional immigration program for lesser-skilled workers is the most effective way to achieve this important goal. We need to take away the incentive to come to and stay in the United States illegally and the best way to do that is to create a legal framework to manage it. By creating a legal system, we can be assured we know exactly who is here as well as allow temporary workers to return to their native country instead of being forced to live in the shadows for years on end. Under the current system, or lack of one, workers are incentivized to obtain false documents and unable to return home for fear that they will not be able to get back to in the US. (continue reading…)

Unless or until it’s stopped, the National Labor Relations Board regulation that denies employees time to consider whether to join a union by putting union elections on an inappropriately fast track will go into effect on April 14th. This is troubling to manufacturers because there is scant evidence anywhere that the union election process needs to be sped up at all and the regulation would force employers to turn over closely guarded personal information such as an employee’s cell phone number and work schedule. (continue reading…)

Enough is enough. We’re all for an honest debate, but a small group of trade critics are putting out some whoppers in an effort to derail the momentum behind Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), a longstanding procedural partnership between Congress and the Administration that enables the United States to conclude and implement new Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that open markets for our manufacturers.

Groups like Public Citizen, however, are promoting distorted information about our country’s manufacturing trade surplus with its 20 FTA partners. (continue reading…)

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hear from industry and academic experts during a hearing today entitled “The Connected World: Examining the Internet of Things.” One of the expert witnesses participating is Douglas Davis, Vice President and General Manager, Internet of Things Group, of NAM member company Intel Corporation.

Manufacturers are leading the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution and Intel is one of those leaders. Not only is it a company producing the interoperable building blocks of the IoT platform and solutions that we find in many of the connected devices, Intel is a manufacturer leveraging the IoT on their own shop floors. (continue reading…)

The NAM is proud to announce that it has been honored with several awards for its redesign of www.nam.org. Launched in 2010, the website reflects modern manufacturing in America and highlights this critical theme: manufacturing’s vital leadership in innovation, job opportunity, technological progress and economic security. The website is a source of information about policy issues and breaking news affecting all manufacturers in the United States. The user-friendly site features policy issues, information on how to take action and quick facts on manufacturing in America.

“We have been very upfront. We support an increase in the debt limit. We need to meet our obligations,” said Dorothy Coleman, vice president of tax and domestic economy policy for the NAM. “There is a huge downside to default.”

NAM remains neutral on the question of attaching a long-term deficit-reduction plan to the debt-ceiling vote.

“We have been neutral on how it gets done. Our interest is that it does get done in a timely fashion,” Coleman said.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today launched a campaign to put a human face on the unprecedented expansion of federal regulations coming from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Manufacturing is leading the way in America’s recovery, adding thousands of jobs every week. But the flood of regulations pouring down from the EPA will mean higher prices for energy and impose enormous costs throughout the economy.

Manufacturers pay utility bills like everyone else. When residential energy costs go up, families have less money to buy things like clothes and groceries. When energy costs go up for manufacturers, we have less money to invest – and to hire people.

We’re releasing these new ads as Congress considers legislation to block the EPA’s proposed regulating of greenhouse gas emissions. No federal agency should have the authority to simply mandate such a radical, nationwide restructuring of energy use – and force people to pay higher energy prices – without a vote of the elected branch of government, Congress.

Manufacturers already have invested billions of dollars to comply with federal regulations. We embrace common-sense approaches to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

Unfortunately, the EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations are only the biggest, most economically damaging of its many proposals. Whether it’s mining, transportation, farming, or manufacturing, the EPA is rolling out mandates that make it tougher for businesses in America to compete in the global marketplace, and tougher for people to make ends meet.

As our ads asks, “Manufacturing has always provided good jobs that support our local economies. But times are tough. So why is the EPA pushing new regulations that could force businesses to close, making times tougher, increasing costs and prices for goods and services?”

The NAM’s new TV and radio ads are just the beginning of a sustained educational campaign about the EPA’s excessive regulations and their effect on the U.S. manufacturing economy.

To learn more about this campaign and the damaging effects of the EPA’s proposed regulations, please visit www.NoNewRegs.org.

Jay Timmons is President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA and OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Feb. 4, 2011) - Leading U.S. and Canadian manufacturing associations have announced the formation of the B3 – Businesses for a Better Border – a manufacturing coalition to advise both governments on policies for perimeter security, regulatory compliance and economic competitiveness.

Today’s announcement by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper on their shared objectives is an important step forward in addressing the needs of manufacturers in the integrated Canadian/U.S. economy. B3 applauds the two governments for their announcement today of a shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness.

B3 is steered by the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA), and the U.S. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). As one can tell from the membership, a major focus will be the integration and effective cooperation of the automobile industry on both sides of the border. Good time to build a new connection between Windsor and Detroit — the Gordie Howe International Bridge sounds good.

Today, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper have directed the creation of a United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC), composed of senior regulatory, trade, and foreign affairs officials from both governments. In recognition of our $1 trillion annual trade and investment relationship, the RCC has a two-year mandate to work together to promote economic growth, job creation, and benefits to our consumers and businesses through increased regulatory transparency and coordination.

Washington – Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, today announced that it has named former Gov. John Engler as its President, effective January 15, 2011.

Engler currently is President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest manufacturing association in the U.S. A former three-term governor of Michigan, Engler has been NAM president since October 1, 2004.

As NAM president, Engler has been a leading advocate for the nearly 12 million Americans employed directly in manufacturing, educating the public and policymakers on issues that affect this critical sector of the U.S. economy. Under Engler, the NAM has had unprecedented growth and has boosted its dues revenues by 28 percent.

“As a Governor, John forged progressive public policy. As the NAM’s President, he has been an effective, articulate spokesman for manufacturing. He has championed U.S. competitiveness around the world – often working arm-in-arm with Business Roundtable – and has tirelessly advocated policies that create jobs in the U.S. Respected in Washington on both sides of the aisle, John has spurred NAM to grow in both size and influence, even as its members faced difficult economic times. His leadership skills, policy expertise and broad background in both the public and private sectors uniquely qualify him to be BRT’s new president. We’re thrilled that John is joining BRT at this important moment for American businesses,” said Ivan G. Seidenberg, Chairman of Business Roundtable and Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications. (continue reading…)

The New York Times reports on manufacturers’ reaction to the tax compromise moved forward by the Senate on Monday. The story is, “Tax Breaks Bring Hope for Hiring“:

To many manufacturing companies, the tax cut proposal now being considered in Washington may be just enough to spur additional spending and hiring.

At Yushin America, a Rhode Island company that makes and maintains robotic manufacturing equipment, executives say that the business tax breaks would allow them to invest in new machinery, new employees and even a new roof.

“It’s a chance for us to put it back in the business and grow,” said Michael Greenhalgh, operations manager of the company in Cranston, which employs 60 people and has annual sales of about $21 million.

Because Bison is organized as a subchapter S corporation, and its income is taxed at its owners’ individual rate, it will benefit if Congress extends the tax break for the wealthy. The company, which has $50 million in sales and 225 employees, will also reap tax savings from the changes in depreciation and research policies.

Ron Bullock, company chairman, said three positions in the research and development staff had been vacant for months as he tried to gauge the strength of the economic recovery and the prospects of a double-dip recession. With the tax savings, Mr. Bullock said, he expects to hire as well as replace aging equipment.

“Other businesses will use their tax incentives to order products from us, which will allow us to hire and, hopefully, expand,” he said. “That’s the way you turn an economy around, and allay the fears people have about whether this economy is a good place to invest.”